Levin took a deep breath before stepping inside the Cable Club. He'd walked here from the Pokemon Center, where after a three-hour intervention, Solair's wings were finally healed. He'd made a point to watch the whole process, mercifully made easier with the help of the advanced technology all Trainers took for granted nowadays. Cuts and bruises could be healed in a matter of seconds at the main counter, but injuries like the ones his Fletchling sustained took much longer to mend - despite the miracles of modern medicine, it was still a delicate process to regenerate as much tissue as Solair's wings required. What hurt Levin the most wasn't the operation itself, but the dejected, broken look of his dear friend throughout the whole process.

Solair had flown all the way from Kalos to nest in the warm Friend Safari of Fizzy Bubbles. He'd been the first of his species to venture outside of his native land, and by some miraculous stroke of luck, Levin had run into this remarkable Pokemon during the event. He defeated it with Bud's help when it evolved into Ivysaur, and it wasn't until he captured the Fletchling that he realized how much that loss meant to him. Solair turned out to be a creature of knightly principles, who worshiped the Sun and valued the virtues of honor and loyalty above all others. To him, losing to a Grass-Type was cause of shame, and he yearned to avenge that loss by serving Levin the best way he possibly could. When he chose Solair to fight Vesper's Beedrill, he never imagined this would be the outcome.

Because I was reckless. I wasn't prepared; I didn't even know there such a thing an a new form of evolution. I was less than my best and Solair almost paid the ultimate price. But I know him - he'll come back stronger, hungrier, burning brighter than ever. We'll avenge that loss and Solair will smile again.

Mazo the Lucario, who led him here, laid a hand on his shoulder in reassurance.

Your hand. It still hurts.

Levin forced a smile. What was the point in lying? Mazo knew the truth at all times.

As much as they hurt now, those scars are the ones that help you grow. Those scars brought you here today, because they've already made you stronger. They're waiting Master... let's go in.

- What did I tell you about calling me Master?...

Memory fails me.

---

Three people were already waiting for him. Three familiar faces, and yet it felt like he hadn't seen him in years. For the first time in his life, someone else arranged these trades for him - Mazo sensed the unique Auras of three special Pokemon and found Levin worthy of raising them in his current state. The Lucario instructed Levin to contact Cyrus, Connor and Dave and ask them to meet him here, and it seemed all three fortunately complied. But Levin just wanted to handle his business and leave; there were far too many things on his mind, and he was never fond of crowds. Besides, a new trip to the Cable Club would be in order very soon.

- Sorry to have kept you all waiting. I... ran into some problems on the way over.

Instinctively hiding his right hand behind his back, he approached Cyrus first.

The first specimen Mazo sensed turned out to be... a very silent Snorunt. By no means a rare Pokemon, this creature was a fairly common sight in the coldest regions of Fizzy Bubbles. As if sensing Levin's confusion, the Lucario was quick to provide an explanation.

There is something dormant within her. A very ancient Aura that does not match her tender age. A cold, distant Aura that I would very much like to see you tame.

Intrigued, Levin reached out to greet the seemingly shy Snorunt. But as he hand approached it, a suddenly unbearable cold coursed through his veins, as if he was freezing from the inside the closer he got to the Ice-Type. Sensing his unwelcome warmth, Snorunt threw him a dejected stare and turned her back on him.

She cannot be approached. No living creature can survive standing close to her for more than mere seconds. She is aware of this strange power, and believes she's destined to be alone because of it. She's grown to detest the warmth of others for that same reason... are you up to the challenge?

Levin smiled at the prospect of raising such a creature to its full potential. But more importantly, and revealing how much he'd changed himself, he relished the opportunity to break her shell and give the poor soul a family. He'd gotten through to Vlad, and with time, he was sure he'd reach out to the cursed Snorunt as well.

- Your fate isn't to live alone. Fate brought me here to give you a home; hopefully one day you'll come to see it as such. We have all the time int the world, I'm not going anywhere. Welcome to your new family... Skuld.

The Snow Ball he carried felt like an appropriate home. Offering no resistance, as if utterly resigned to whatever came her way, Skuld allowed herself to be captured. In her mind it changed nothing, because her curse couldn't be surpassed. In Levin's mind, it marked a new chapter in his evolution as a Trainer - no matter what, he'd make Skuld feel loved.

Dave, a fisherman of considerable reputation in the land, was a man Levin had grown to respect for the way he'd made a name for himself. The Crasher Wake student was credited with single-handedly preserving the Arcane Realm after stopping a rampaging giant Tyranitar, and was one of the more well-known Water-Type specialists around.

His offer was... a Poliwag. Levin smiled at the irony of the situation; he was inches away from bidding on another Poliwag at some point, one who'd eventually end up in Connor's possession and was now a Poliwhirl. If he'd offered to take in that Poliwag, who knows if he'd have kept it back then... but now that he'd found his calling, it made perfect sense for him to raise one. He thought it'd be a long time before another one appeared, but again fate had him on its sights. And if he was to raise a Poliwrath, he could think of no better origin for him than Dave's ranks - the tadpole had gotten to experience life surrounded by other Water-Types, and hopefully some of the fisherman's experience would have rubbed off on the creature.

Poliwag stared back at his would-be Trainer. His expression was both defiant and expectant. But even so... why would Mazo lead him to it?

This one... I'll save the surprise. Raise him carefully and see what he grows into. Good luck keeping him around though; he has quite the... adventurous spirit. I'll say the confines of a Pokeball won't do him any good.

Levin dropped to one knee and patted Poliwag on the head. If Mazo said there was something remarkable to be found in him, he'd give the little Water-Type a chance. He seemed eager to get started, that much was sure, as his tail reached for an empty Ball in Levin's belt and pressed the button to draw himself inside, essentially capturing himself. And when the deed was done he let himself back out, clearly not fond of wasting time. This one was proving to be quite the character already!

But he'd have to wait a little longer... one last thing remained to be done.

The last one was Connor. In front of the photographer was a Pokemon Levin had mixed memories of... a Ralts.

Haven't seen one of these since... Mediville.

Or more accurately, the dream-like state induced by the demon Gardevoir that trapped the entire village in a twisted slumber during Levin's journey through the Arcane Realm. The Ralts was being chased by a boy named Raz, who turned out to be the enemy all along, a dream world manifestation of Gardevoir who tried to kill him a number of times before he actually woke up and confronted the creature with Nyx's help. He wasn't going to lie - back then, he'd hoped Ralts would choose to join his team rather than Raz's, before realizing all of it was an illusion. Now, the mere sight of this Pokemon brought back all manner of flashbacks and emotions.

He knew Ralts could sense the emotions of people around them, somewhat like Mazo. But they only approached kind humans, promptly fleeing from anyone with an impure heart. As a result, Levin had never managed to get close to one, and even the Mediville illusion ran away from him back then. It came as a genuine surprise then that this particular one... didn't so much as flinch.

This one's Aura shone the brightest upon its birth. Not just that, its essence is familiar - it reminds me a lot of your own, Master.

- My... my Aura?

I am well aware of your opinion on destiny. But much like you and I share an unbreakable bond, as your brother Ivan rightfully put it, I believe it is no chance that you and this Ralts should meet. His Aura mirrors your own - at least, your current one. He would have fled, like all the others, no more than a day ago. But you've changed profoundly since you fought Vesper, perhaps more than you realize. Ralts senses this change and the man you're turning into, and he wishes to be a part of your journey.

Levin felt conflicted. The Ralts line lived a symbiotic relationship with their Trainers; their feelings and motivations were shared and mirrored, and those raised by pure-hearted humans grew to become paragons of virtue and righteousness. But him... he was an ego-driven, now revenge-fueled man who had never served anyone's best interests but his own. What would a Ralts raised by such a man become?

That is indeed what you were. But not anymore; without forsaking your ambition, you now see the responsibility of being a Trainer in full, and are willing to live with that burden. You have accepted your role not just as Traienr, but as protector and caretaker of those you raise. When you accepted to take Vlad and Skuld into your home, you proved your change of heart. And that's the man Ralts want to follow and grow alongside - a passionate man with a dream who learns from his failures and grows better at every step.

Levin smiled. Ralts was dead wrong if he thought of him as a selfless, kind soul - he was egotistical and ambitious and that would never change. But Mazo was partially right: he valued the well-being of his few friends more than ever, and had no intention of letting any harm come to them ever again. If Ralts wanted to follow him for that, he was welcome - the same way he'd welcome a powerful new fighter on his team. Not only that, Mazo mentioned Ralts's Aura "mirrored" his own - and there was something undeniably enticing in seeing how a Pokemon raised in his image would turn out to be.

Ralts drew near, his red horn glowing as a sign of affection. Scooping the Psychic-Type in his arms, Levin gave him a warm smile and welcomed him in his thoughts, which he knew Ralts could read.
He tapped the newborn with an empty Ball and caught him, concluding the last trade with a feeling of accomplishment and juvenile excitement - because all of a sudden, he had three new allies to rely on when the time to rise to greatness came.

Another chapter in your story starts now. I look forward to walking this path with you and seeing how much you can still grow.

He agreed. But before he could embark on this next chapter, there was one last thing he needed to do - allow three of his friends to grow as well. They'd been ready for a while now, and the help he provided to various locals around Kanjohto earned him the necessary tools to unlock his partners' potential: a Protector and a Metal Coat. As soon as he wasdone he could finally return home for a good night's sleep, and begin anew the next morning.